How prenatal and lifelong pesticide and air-particle exposure relate to young adult lung health
Prenatal and lifetime exposure to pesticides and particulate matter and respiratory health in young adults from the CHAMACOS birth
This project looks at whether exposure before birth and across childhood to pesticides and fine airborne particles affects breathing and asthma in young adults from a farmworker community.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11228779 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You are part of the long-running CHAMACOS group of people born to farmworker families in Salinas, California, and researchers will use your past exposure measurements and where you lived to estimate prenatal and lifetime contact with pesticides and particulate matter. They will measure current lung function and ask about asthma symptoms in young adults, and collect nasal cells to study DNA methylation as a possible biological link. The team will also examine combinations of pollutants to see which mixes are most related to breathing problems. Results are compared to earlier childhood findings to see if effects persist into adulthood.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are young adults who were enrolled at birth in the CHAMACOS cohort (born in Salinas to farmworker families) and who can take part in follow-up visits.
Not a fit: People who were not part of the CHAMACOS cohort or who have respiratory problems clearly caused by non-environmental factors may not directly benefit from this specific follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to preventable environmental exposures and biological markers that help reduce asthma and improve lung health in communities with agricultural pesticide exposure.
How similar studies have performed: Previous CHAMACOS analyses and other studies have linked early pesticide and air pollution exposure to childhood asthma and reduced lung function, but extending those findings into young adulthood and studying pollutant mixtures and nasal DNA methylation is less explored.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gunier, Robert — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Gunier, Robert
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.